Stretching apparatus



May 26, 192 5.

J. S. HANSEN ETRETCHING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1922 wave/ruin 2".

'9 I ail-5y.

Fatented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,539,184 PATENT OFFIE.

JOHN S. HANSEN, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS; ELVENA G. HANSEN, EXECUTE-IXOF SAID JOHN S. HANSEN, DECEASED,

ASSIGNOR T0 0. A. MILLER TEJEEING MA- CHINE COMPANY, OF BNOGKTON, MASSCHUS TT A CORPORATI N OF MAQSA- CHUSETTS.

STRETGHING- APPARATUS.

Application filed Februa y 25, 1922- sfilial N0. 53 ,273.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. I-IANsEN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Stretching Apparatus, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a.

specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention is a novel form of apparatus for use' in stretchingboots and shoes, although it is also capable of use as a shoe tree ortemporary last for use in finishing or other operations on a shoe.

In the art of manufacturing boots and shoes it is at present customaryto make the same in quantity productions on a relatively fewpredetermined sizes, and conse quently the subsequent fitting of thesestandard-sized shoes to individual wearers is attended by considerabletime, effort, skill and work in fitting the w'earer. Even with the useof sizes and half-sizes it is often required that a particular pair ofshoes be specially stretched or enlarged in order to enable them to beworn satisfactorily by the customer, and even with all previousappliances, it is a well-known difficulty in the trade that many shoesmust be broken in simplyby constant use by the wearer. Numerous priordevices for specially stretching footwear have been attempted, but allsuch have been unsatisfactory in actual use.

My present invention is directed to enable a quick, powerful andefficient stretching apparatus to be provided, which can be used inretail shoe stores for the special operation of stretching, smooth, orenlarging the shoe for the particular individual customer. In order tomeet the particular and peculiar requirements of such anapparatus thesame must be quickly attachable to and readily detachable from a shoe,must be capable of the application of considerable power, and alsoshould be devised with a particular view to prevent injury to the shoe.All these objects have been before me in devising the present apparatus.

In carrying out my present invention I prefer to utilize an apparatuspreferably in the form of a shoe last or partial last. This will preventdanger of undue stretching of the shoe at any one point, will enable thethrust members to be automatically transmitted throughout the extent ofthe shoe, thus tending to apply the stretching or expansible pressure ata plurality of points and actually tend to restore the normal shape andcontour of the shoe, while also applying the stretching power. A furtherimportant object of the invention is that I enable a quickly locking anddetaching device, which preferably is also employed as a combined handleand operating lever. Thus I have devised an apparatus which is veryefiicient in-the power exerted, can be quickly locked in any position towhich it is adjusted, and by a simplicity of construction and minimum ofparts, which renders such an apparatus specially useful and valuable forthis type of service in retail stores, re-

quiring great speed of operation, and capable of use by parties normallyunskilled in shoe manufacture.

Referring to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of myinvention,

Fig. 1 is a side View, partly in cross-section, of my apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional viewon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

While my apparatus can be made of any suitable dimensions it is soformed and constructed as to take care, automatically, of a very largerange of shoes and sizes. I form the apparatus of substantiallyequivalent shape to the forepart'of a shoe last,

preferably omitting the extreme toe portion. It is not desirable toendeavor to stretch the toes of most" shoes, as the capacity forstretching at this point is extremely limited, and furthermore in caseof shoes employing box toes, the stretching strain at the toe portionwould be insufficient to enlarge, the same, and would simply endangerthe breaking of th stitching. lonsequently my apparatus consists firstin a last-like portion with the toe part omitted, and having alongitudinal line of out, indicated. at 1 and dividing the last into twoequal halves 2 and 3.

On the inner abutting faces of these last portions I form a recess, bygrooving out the same, as indi ated at t and 5, extending this recess orthese recesses with the faces parallel for a substantial distance, andthen converging the same at the forward part, giving beveled faces 6 and7 in the recess portions t and respectively.

In the recess or groove thus formed in each half, I apply a U-shapedmetallic memi so that these beveled faces come into contact, acts toexpand or pry apart the entire last portions 2 and 3.

As it is only desirable to apply a stretching action on the forepart ofthe shoe, I need only use the iorepart of the sections of the last-likepart of my apparatus, and furthermore I prefer to unite these two lastportion-s by a pivot or hinge connection at the extreme rear part,thereby permitting them to expand or withdraw at the forward part only.Any suitable hinge may be employed at the rear part, that lie-rein shownconsisting of an ordinary type of metal hinge with leaves 13 and 14:overlapping, as is customary, to receive a pivot pm 15, screws 16-holding the leaves to the respectivelast parts 2 and 3. p

In order to operate the reciprocating action of an expanding member 10,as wellalsoas to provide meansto lock the said member in its forward orexpanding po'sie tion at any point to which it may be moved, and aswell, also, as to provide a suitable handle for the apparatus tofacilitate insertion of the same intoa shoe, and removal therefrom, Ihave devised simple and eilicient means. In the upper part of the twolast sections I form a V-shaped groove, having faces as notedat 16 and17 These faces are out so as to provide cooperating recesses 18 and 19respectively, which are below a horizontally formed bored opening 20 inwhich a pin 21 is to be applied. An oscillating member 22 is formed tore-. ceive the pin 21;, the latter acting as a pivot. This oscillatingmember 22 is of appropriate size to substantially fill later ally therecesses formed by the faces 16 and 18- and: 17 and 19, as the sameoscillates on the pin The member 22 is formed as a. socket. member,having internal threads 23 to receive the correspondingly threaded shaft2% of the handle 25, the latter having a smooth face 26 adapted to bearand bind directly upon the pivot 21 for locking the parts in relativeposition. The oscillating member 22 is suitably attached to theexpanding member 10. Preferably I unite these two parts by fitting across piece 28 to: the side arms of the member 10 and; so

form the inner extending part of the member 22 with a slot 30 to litabout the cross piece 28, so that the same will be in engagementtherewith at all times throughout the oscillating movement permitted bythe member 22 between the faces 1'? and 19 on one side and 16 and 18- onthe other, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This arrangement also greatlyfacilitates the assembling of the device. position and yet to hold theparts 2 and 3 to move toward and. from each otherduring the expandingand contracting action I attach the pin 21 rigidly to one section, as bya hollow key 33, thus permitting the other section to slide on that partof the pin 21 housed within the same.

The apparatus is very economically made, a suitable last portion beingformed with the toe removed, a longitudinal line of separation 1 beingsawed, the grooves 01' recesses t and 5 formed, the cuts and bores forthe member 22, pin 21 and key 33 being formed, member 10 fitted thereinand the hinge applied. positioned, the pin 21 driven in and held inposition by the key 33. The handle 25 is then threaded into position,and the apparatus ready for use. Upon application to a shoe, the handleconstitutes a lever with which to oscillate the member 22 and therebymove the expander 10 forwardly until the faces 12 on the U-shaped partofthe expander slide into or contact upon the beveled faces 6 and 7 ofthe grooves 4 and 5. This effects a separation of the forepart of theportions 2 and 8, swinging on the hinge 15, and thereby producing anexpanding action on the forep'art of the shoe. Great power is capable ofbeing exerted by the handle 25 and when the stretching action issuliicient or desired for the particular operation, thereupon the handle25 is threaded tightly against the pin 21, thus binding and firmlylocking the apparatus in adjusted position- The shoe maybe'stretchedwithin wide limits, the capacity for separating the two parts beingindicated by the dotted lines 35 and 36, Fig. Instant release of thetension is provided by a slight rotation of I the handle 25, therebyunlocking the mem-- ber 22 and pivot 21 and a reversal of the action ofthe lever withdraws the member 10 from the beveled faces 6 and 7 andfacilitates the removal of the apparatus from the shoe. A desirablefeatnre is also the facility with which the handle 25 can be removed andthe entire device compactly packed for shipment.- The stretching actionis performed smoothly, evenly, and with all In order to hold the pin 21in The oscillating member 22' is then IOU strains tensionsdistributedevenly throughout the shoe surface, thereby efi'ecting an evenstretching action and insuring its permanence without exerting all:tension one point which endangers the structure of the shoe. The entireapparatus is easily assembled, eliminating the requirement heretoforecustomary of machinery obtrusive in space and appearance, and unsuitedfor retail store use. The action of the stretcher also necessarilyrestores the shape of the shoe, erasing Wrinkles, and acting as a shoetree. The usefulness of the present device is not limited to retailstores, as my apparatus can be used for finishing or similar Work onshoes in factories, taking the place of a follower, the apparatus beingquickly applied in a shoe and the stretching serving to hold the samefirmly therein during shoe treeing, finishing, repairing or the like.

My invention is further described and delined in the form of claims asfollows:

Apparatus of the kind described, adapted to be applied to boots andshoes, consisting in expansible and collapsible members in the form of askeleton last and pivotally mounted together at their rear ends, anexpansion member enclosed Within said members and adapted to reciprocatein a direction longitudinal to the said members, a horizontally arrangedshaft in said members, a member rotatably mounted on said shaft andassociated with the expansion member, and athreaded lever associatedWith said rotatably mounted member for oscillating the said member'tocause a movement of the expansion member and to lock the said rotatablemember in adjusted position on said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN HANSEN,

